Volunteering and Health: The Connection You Don’t Know About!

by Olivia C. Content Writer

Widowed older adults can reduce the loneliness that results from the death of a spouse by volunteering 100 hours per year, which is about two hours per week, according to a recent study.

Dr. Ben Lennox Kail, co-author of the study and assistant professor of sociology at Georgia State University, examined whether becoming a volunteer at the time of widowhood is associated with reducing the risks of loneliness.
The Study

The study examined whether becoming a volunteer at the time of widowhood is associated with reducing the risks of loneliness, which is a significant public health concern, particularly for those who have lost a spouse, linked to poorer physical health, depression and even earlier mortality. The findings are published in The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.

The researchers analyzed data from 5,882 married adults, ages 51 and older, who completed the Health and Retirement Study, which was given every two years and collected information on family, health and volunteer engagement.

Using data from 2006 to 2014 for individuals who were married and either remained continuously married or became widowed, the researchers determined the relationship between loneliness and becoming widowed and whether the loneliness from losing a spouse was reduced by volunteering.

The Dangers of Loneliness

According to experts at House Call Doctor, loneliness is a serious medical problem for many older adults; previous research links it to declines in physical and mental health as well as premature death.

Because strong marriages, friendships and social networks can keep loneliness at bay, researchers wanted to see if becoming more involved in the community through volunteer work might make loneliness less common for an especially vulnerable group: recent widows.

"Becoming a widow is one of the most difficult transitions that people face later in life," said Dr. Ben Lennox Kail.

The Results

The study found loneliness was significantly higher in those who become widowed compared to those who stay continuously married.

However, starting to volunteer two or more hours per week resulted in decreased loneliness, with levels of loneliness similar to those of continuously married individuals volunteering at the same intensity.

The findings suggest higher intensity volunteering (about two hours per week) as a potential intervention for alleviating loneliness in older adults who have recently become widowed.

"We found that for people in general, widowhood was associated with increased loneliness over time. Among people who became widowed, if they started volunteering 100 hours per year, which is about two hours per week, this reduced loneliness to an extent that they almost look exactly like those people who never became widowed at all,” said Dr. Ben Lennox Kail. 

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Created on May 21st 2018 22:58. Viewed 537 times.

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